I Would Rather Be Somewhere Else

An island somewhere off the coast of Batu Maung, Penang
An island somewhere off the coast of Batu Maung, Penang

“Are you in Penang or KL?”

Friends asked me that in Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger very often lately. I took a step back and realised that indeed I have been commuting too frequently between Penang and Kuala Lumpur this year and the second half of last year. Airports have become like a third home now. Other than my apartment and Wuan’s house, I have spent more hours idling my time away in airports than anywhere else.

The excitement of flying has lost its lustre. This is not the kind of life I want to lead. Airports are sterile. It is a place where everything is transitional. Rush is the word. Everyone is rushing from one destination to another. Truth be told, I could actually feel my life ticking away as I looked out the tinted windows to see planes taking off and landing with surgical precision.

As much as I would like to lead a simpler life, I am bound by my desire to see to fruition what I have been trained to do. That calls for trips to the city to attend courses and conduct courses. All that travelling is exacting a great toll on my frail health. This is exacerbated by the strict diet that I am compelled to follow. There is no way that I can work effectively in this frame of mind and health. For now, I would rather be somewhere else instead of Penang or Kuala Lumpur. Perhaps an island in the middle of nowhere, sipping Margaritas and Mai Tais with Wuan, enjoying the sun and surf without a care in the world.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

4 thoughts on “I Would Rather Be Somewhere Else”

  1. We all wish that sometimes-to get it away from it all,the hustle and bustle of city living.Appointments,chores,bills to pay ,it all takes a toll on our mental wellbeing sometimes.I guess thru it all if we take a step back and take stock of our life and ponder why we’re at this juncture, life takes on a different meaning.
    When I’m depressed or angry, I ask myself why – is it something I ate, as we’re all chemicals trapped in our skin and after that I tell myself surely life’s better than being 6ft under!My life takes on a different perspective and I start to see the positive side of things!It could be worse…thats what i always tell myself.

    Peter:
    This is one of those days…. Thanks for your time.

  2. Something to put a smile on your face!

    The Pastor’s Ass

    The Pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The Pastor was so
    pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won
    again.

    The local paper read: PASTOR’S ASS OUT FRONT

    The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the
    Pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.

    The next day, the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR’S ASS.

    This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the Pastor to get rid of
    the
    donkey. The Pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

    The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the
    next
    day: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

    The Bishop fainted. He later informed the nun that she would have to get
    rid
    of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

    The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10

    This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the
    donkey and led it to the plains where it could run wild.

    The next day the headlines read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE

    The Bishop was buried the next day.

    The moral of the story is: Being concerned about public opinion can bring
    you much grief and misery…and even shorten your life.

    So be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else’s ass and
    you’ll be a lot happier and live longer!

    Have a nice day! Try not to stress yourself out.

    Peter:
    Hmm…

  3. for a moment there i thought i read ‘enjoying the suan’… hahaha
    bleh it’s late, need to sleep, nite!

    Peter:
    You need a pair of new glasses.

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